product__type for Google Shopping feed

  • Resolved websanity

    (@websanity)


    4 years, 6 months ago

    Hello. We have followed the article below to provide product categories in Google Shopping feed so that in Google AdWords we can fine tune bids based on the product category:
    https://adtribes.io/adding-googles-gproduct_type-to-your-product-feed/

    This works correctly in the feed, e.g.
    <g:product_type>Home > Lamp holders</g:product_type>

    However in AdWords when we look at product_types it just lists Home
    i.e. it breaks at the > in the “category path”

    We are now trying other mappings to see if we can get just the primary category to show (we are using Yoast) but there are an overwhelming number of different category options in the mapping field for categories, which we just have to guess and try.
    I’m hoping “One Category” will work.

    1. Can you please explain (or point me to where they are explained) what all the different category options in field mappings mean. e.g. One Category, Category (not used for mapping) etc. It is a real weakness of this plugin that it is very powerful but many of the options in the selection lists seem unexplained to a plugin user.

    2. Can you update the above article for the benefit of others as it looks like it doesn’t work due to Google not liking the > unfortunately.

    Thanks

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • evavangelooven

    (@evavangelooven)

    4 years, 6 months ago

    Hi,

    In order to get the g:product_type field filled in correctly you need to create this field mapping: https://www.dropbox.com/s/uu61g7spk6mubml/product_type_2.png?dl=0

    The plugin will then add the product type in accordance to Google’s requirements:
    https://support.google.com/merchants/answer/6324406?hl=en (See the XML example).

    An example from one of our test feeds looks like this, which suits Google’s requirements: https://www.dropbox.com/s/h15mirio81ps3mn/product_type_1.png?dl=0

    When you have set so-called primary categories (Yoast plugin) then our plugin will use the primary category to fill your g:product_type field.

    Hope this helps?

    Best,
    Eva

    Thread Starter websanity

    (@websanity)

    4 years, 6 months ago

    Hi Eva,

    I’m afraid that did not work for us. The product_type field looks fine in the feed but Google only displays up to the >, and therefore you only get the category Home showing within Google Ads. I imagine Google have changed their requirements for this, or just mucked up their programming – like they often do.

    We instead mapped “One Category” and this has led to a perfect feed (no >s in it) for us which should work in Google (I will confirm when it picks it up)

    This is a Google problem, not yours, but it will obviously affect your customers.

    evavangelooven

    (@evavangelooven)

    4 years, 6 months ago

    Hi,

    Are you sure? We have tested the above and uploaded the feed into our merchant center.

    An example from the feed is this:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/g8o3per4bb72ieb/product_type_3.png?dl=0

    Which results to this in Google’s merchant center:
    https://www.dropbox.com/s/4c282onhqs8vz0o/product_type_4.png?dl=0

    Which seems to be working fine to me? Am I misunderstanding the issue at hand?

    All the best,
    Eva

    Thread Starter websanity

    (@websanity)

    4 years, 6 months ago

    This is what Google gives us in AdWords when we ask to see product_type :
    http://lampsandlights.co.uk/ga-product_type.png

    so we just see Home there instead of a list of our category paths.

    I am hoping that having set product_type to One Category in the mapping for our feed that it will show us a list of all our categories instead of just Home.
    Your feed generated product_tag looks correct to me, I am guessing that Google doesn’t like the > in there and therefore only shows Home, but your example looks OK.

    NOTE: This is when we look at a Shopping Campaign inside Google AdWords, not in Merchant Center. If we can see our categories in there we can set specific bids for specific types of product (a tactic we have used in the past).

    I will check tomorrow because it takes Google overnight to catch up. I will update you soon.
    Take care,
    Gerald

    Thread Starter websanity

    (@websanity)

    4 years, 5 months ago

    I can confirm that setting product_type to One Category in the feed mapping correctly gave us the primary category for products that we are able to select and put individual bid prices on within Google Ads itself (when Category path did not, it just gave us Home).

    So we’re OK, feel free to close this ticket; but I’d be wary that other people might have the same problem.

    I also recommend that if you don’t want your customers to become exasperated at your plugin that you clearly document what all those field mapping options actually mean. I guessed One Category was what we needed based on a hunch, I could find no documentation to explain what it actually meant. There are many other fields that I have no idea what they mean either. It has left us having spent far more time trying to get the feed to work than it should have and with a negative feeling about the plugin; when some simple documentation could have made it far quicker to setup and left us with a positive feeling. The plugin has worked great, but it has been far too hard because of a simple lack of clear information. I say this only to help you to help your future customers!

    evavangelooven

    (@evavangelooven)

    4 years, 5 months ago

    Hi websanity,

    Good to hear you managed to solve the issue at hand.

    We definitely hear you and you are right about your comment about the lack of documentation with regards to the different fields that can be used. Duly noted! We will put a tutorial live in the near future explaining all of them.

    Thanks for you honest feedback.

    All the best,
    Eva

    Thread Starter websanity

    (@websanity)

    4 years, 5 months ago

    That would be great. One further comment: excellent customer support, thank you for your help 🙂

    I have other clients who I will use your plugin for (second time around will be much quicker though!! 🙂 )

    evavangelooven

    (@evavangelooven)

    4 years, 5 months ago

    Thanks, much appreciated!

    It is our users feedback, such as yours, that enables us to keep improving our plugin (and its documentation ;-)). Hence, thanks again!

    Best,
    Eva

Viewing 8 replies - 1 through 8 (of 8 total)
  • The topic ‘product__type for Google Shopping feed’ is closed to new replies.